Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-08-16
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INDIANS As CITIZENS.
How Citizenship is to be Mecured by
Indiana Hinder Tho Aeyeranv A at

How Citixenship is to be Aecured by
Indians Under the Beyeral'y Act.
Washington, Aug, 1.-THE effect
OF the Indians seyeralty aot is
to be q1ite as great as its trainers
expected in view of the construction
given to the act by the Indian office.
The commissioner of Indian affairs,
before leaving for the sick bed OF his
vile, gave an opinion az to the
manner, ! q which eItizenship is
to be secured by Indians under this act,
which has not yet been printed. TIE
opinion is contained In the following
letter: =
Department of the Interior, Office of
Indian Affairs. Washington, July g, 1887
To j. w. W. Hewitt, Bureau of Eth
nology, Washington-Sir: I ann in re-
ceipt OF Your communication dated J une
o, 1887, in which you state that yon are
q Tuscaro1a Indian by birth, and that
since July, 1880, you have been living
separate and apart from any tribe OF
Indians. You inquire how you can
take advantage OF the provisions
OF the latter part of the sixth
section OF the general allotment
act. 4. O., whether the declaration
of the law is sufficient and ample to
guarantee citizenship. or whether You
must make it o matter of record in some
court. In reply have TO state that it
appears to have been the intention of
congress to declare Indians belonging
to certain classes specified in said Sec
tion to be citizens and not to provide q
method by which they could become
citizens. I think the declaration OF the
law is sufficient to constitute any Indian
thorn within the territorial limits of the
United States who has voluntarily taken
mp within said limits his residence sep
arate and apart from any tribe OF Indians
therein, and has adopted the habits OF
civilized life" a cltizen OF the United
States, entitled TO all the rights. PRIV
ileRes and immunities OF such citizens
without action on his part. Should any
such Indian he denied or refused any Vi
such rights, privileges or irnmunities
he should appeal to the proper courts in
the same manner as it would be naces-
sary for other citizens to do in Case OF
similar refusal or denial.
Very Respectfully,
JIG. ID. ATKINS, Commissioner.
Capt. b. N. Pratt, Of the Carlisle
training chool, has been an earnest ad.
votcate of citizenship for the Indians as
fast as they could be fitted for it. In
truth, OF recent years, he has looked so
much TO citizenship as q help in clearing
up the Indian difficulties that he would
take all Indians ct once into citizensh.p J,
arrange to abandon tribal organizations
and depend upon the innate force OF the
country to assiuiilate this material into
good c~ltszenship. he regards the prop
erty question ss the great hindranoe TO
dealing with Indians in tribes, as he
stated IN o public meeting in this CITY.
The interpretation given by the Indian
office in this case just cited to the sever
atty act opens the way for oil the
educated Indians who are scattered over
the country to be counted as citizens !,
and that, too. without forfeiting any
property rights which they: have as
members OF tribes, as thnt point was
particularly specified in the allotment OF
seyeralty bill, under which the departs
|ment has begun to allot land to certain
tribes.